A letter to the North

[rep2k 2477]

A LETTER TO THE NORTH

Capital City of Karosgrad, 362 ES

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Your Majesty @DAENGIE,

 

The time in which we live, in which we try to make everything we do just the way we want, is not the best. Various problems surround us, numerous requests and questions are before us, and we have very few answers to offer. In any case, this letter is not intended to express my dissatisfaction with this wonderful world.

 

Our two nations are in an alliance that contributes to each other, and in a nice way. Frequent training of our two armies contributes to quality and responsibility, which is very commendable. Trade agreements, like the import and export of various goods between our two kingdoms is something that contributes greatly to the people, as it should be. However, we do not share the same opinion in the perhaps crucial field of our kingdoms, and that is religion. Let me be clear right away, no one needs a conflict right now, because I hope we are all fed up with bloodshed and the loss of innocent lives, whatever the occasion. As Patriarch, encompassing our two kingdoms, one of my duties is to encourage people to believe and to be believers, but it seems that now I have to smooth out some tensions. What your high representatives have done is, to be honest, totally unacceptable, and that is that our clergy have an obligation to pay a tax so that they might not lose their lives if they were just somewhere in your kingdom. Like I said, I'm here to solve the problem, so I'll try to do that.

 

What I am proposing, Your Majesty, is that the tax be abolished, for the reason that I sincerely believe that an alliance with the Kingdom of Haense means at least something to you, and in that alliance, the clergy is not excluded. The followers of your faith do not have to adapt to our ways and our faith, but I just want the connection between us and the relationship between our two clergy to be neutral. Although I am currently in poor health which brought me to the bedridden state, I expect that we will exchange more letters to eliminate this problem as soon as possible. Your opinion will be more than welcome, so I am patiently waiting for your answer and possible suggestions. I am open to suggestions, so as dear God commands, so will I act.

 

Sincerely,

Alfred Cardinal St. Tylos, Patriarch of the Kingdom of Haense & Norland, Prelate of the Clergy

[DAENGIE 468]

 

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A Response to the Patriarch

14th of Malin’s Welcome, Year 13 SA

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 To the Patriarch of the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska,

 

Let me begin this letter by simply stating that you have apparently been deceived. This assertion that the Subversive Elements Tax in any way relates to any death penalty is explicitly false. Not only is it considered a sin most abhorrent within the Red Faith to enact violence upon another simply because of the God he holds, but you seem to have been entirely misled on the wording of the law itself. The punishment for refusing to pay the tax is a simple escort to the border followed by a banishment. To be quite blunt, it betrays your own personally-held, negative misconceptions of the Norlandic Folk to assert that we punish tax evasion as a capital offense. So on that note, I recommend you personally rebuke whoever has attempted to deceive you into believing such a thing. Furthermore, it has long been established law that missionaries of foreign faiths are not permitted to conduct their activities in lands governed by the Red Law, not dissimilar to how it is not permitted for our Keepers to conduct their activities in lands following the Canonist Faith. This law is clearly documented, and warnings are placed at our borders. It is you and yours who enter our lands uninvited, where it is well-documented that you are unwanted. This should not come as a surprise, given your people’s murder and harassment of ours- and that of those simply suspected of association with us- simply for our Faith as recently as fifty years ago.

 

Secondly, allow me to address the purpose of the Subversive Elements Tax. The tax, though it affects the priests of the Church of the Canon, is designed to discourage those elements which would attempt to undermine the security of the Kingdom of Norland. The Canonist Church is considered one such institution, not only for the aforementioned conflicts of fifty years past, but because your own Canon Law, as promulgated by High Pontiff James II, would encourage any Canonists residing in Norland to attempt to overthrow the Crown, as it has been made a matter of policy that nations and individuals following the Red Faith are considered anathematized by the Church. Therefore, the presence of your representatives can only be interpreted as a means of attempting to undermine the authority of the King of Norland and, in so doing, undermine the Kingdom itself. Of course, if this anathematization has changed in recent years, then do correct me.

 

I have full faith in the High Keeper’s actions regarding the laws of Norland, and none in your accusations of attempted violence against your clergymen. Primarily because legal actions, such as banishments, executions, conflicts with the guard and payments to outside entities, are well-recorded. And in those records, there are exactly two instances of individuals being directed to pay the tax in question, both of whom refused and then left peacefully. However, I am willing to negotiate the possibility of granting an exemption to the tax for those subordinate to the Patriarchate of Jorenus specifically in accordance with the terms of the Iron Accord, provided you are willing to admit the falsity of these accusations. It should be noted, of course, that the High Keeper will also be an essential party to these negotiations and that our long-existing proscriptions against the presence of foreign missionaries will not be lifted under any circumstances.

 

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Signed,

 

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A selection of documents have been included with the letter:

A copy of the Norlandic Code of Law

An old document pertaining to Red Faith doctrine

An aged piece of propaganda

 

[OOC: This is a private letter, and only those addressed will be in possession of it.]

[rep2k 2477]

[!] A letter with response would get you after nearly a day, sealed with Jorenus stamp in the middle of the envelope: @DAENGIE

Most esteemed King of Norland,

 

I would like to begin with my satisfaction with your quick reply, in which I can see that you have read the content of what I have stated on one simple piece of paper. First of all, I am glad for the honest answer. The other thing is that I still realized that there is a loose aura around the two of us, which we will, I hope, solve. 

 

Like you said, you have full confidence in your High Keeper's actions, which of course is to be expected. If, in my original letter, I did follow the line of attack, do not be mistaken. I keep to myself that everything I do is done in an honest and right way, which is the real value of my work and effort. I must also clarify the part where you stated that I am being deceived by some who claim that your people kill if taxes are not paid. I will not talk about taxes or any nonsense here, but I will just mention that I also have full confidence in the people I work with, who are there whenever I need them and who advise me. Their opinion and their decision may not be accurate and clear sometimes, as it may be in this situation, but what to do. Everyone sins, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot, so do we, and so do you and everyone else.

 

As always, I am, and now I will be the one who understands and the one who wants a good outcome in the end, so I hope the same from your side. The current situation requires no one else's presence and decisions, but only mine and yours. I see, you mentioned that High Keeper is playing a role in these negotiations, so let it stay that way. I'm not alone on this side either, as far as that's concerned, so it will stay as it is. I have no power in other dioceses but only in my patriarchate, which means that I guarantee that my faithful brethren by God will not interfere in these negotiations. Your suggestion, with the exemption of our priests from the tax, is the answer I wanted to hear, so of course I agree, with the proviso that our clergy will not make incidents, as befits the faithful of God. Of course, after good negotiations comes a satisfactory result.

 

In order to smooth over the tensions that exist between the two northern kingdoms regarding religious issues, it would be ideal to agree on exempting our clergy from taxes, with our priests respecting your code, law and constitution. Mentioning this, I would also like to see a way for the clergy of Jorenus to be stationed somewhere in the territory of your kingdom, without occupying too large a region and without doing anything that goes against what I have just stated above.

I further argue that religion, whatever it may be, should unite the peoples of this world, not separate them. I will try to stick to this idea, because that is the only way we can deal with any problem, but until then, I expect a quick answer from you.